"To quote Madonna herself; 'I have moments where I feel incredibly invincible and know that I have the audience in my hand - I know that everything is absolutely perfect. And then I have panic attacks where I feel like everyone is breathing my air and I cannot live up to everybody's expectations and I might just die on stage.
'I normally try to turn my back to the audience, take a deep breath and remind myself that it's all temporary. I'm not worried about fucking up - I really have a panic attack that everyone else is breathing my air.'
When I read this, a quote from a recent interview with her in Dazed and Confused, I realised that while a little self-doubt on her part might well have made Madonna become better at what she does over the past 25 years, it would also have taken away much of her entertainment value. For in the vast chasm between her view of herself and what she actually is - between the golden fleece and the greasy muff, if you will - this most pompous, pretentious, hypocritical and humourless of women has added greatly to the gaiety of nations for the past quarter-century. Long may she continue to delight us - in this way, if in no other."
The Observer, Sunday April 13th 2008
